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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Major General William T. Sherman to Senator John Sherman, April 10, 1863

CAMP BEFORE VICKSBURG,
April 10, 1863.

Dear Brother:

. . . . . . . . . .

Mr. Dana is here. He spent a few hours with me yesterday,
and I went over with him many of the events of the past year, with the maps and
records with which I am well supplied. Indeed, all look to me for maps and
facts. Dana remarked to one of Grant's staff incidentally, that he was better
pleased with me than he could possibly have expected. In the two days he has
been here he has seen an illustration of the truth of my proposition, which has
drawn on me such volumes of abuse. We have had thousands of men working by
night, putting batteries as close up to Vicksburg as possible, secretly, and in
opening a channel by which we may in high water reach the river twenty-five
miles below Vicksburg. Secrecy was essential, but the papers of Memphis
announce the whole fact. I know the Memphis dailies go before daylight each day
to Hernando, 25 miles, and are telegraphed to Vicksburg by noon of the same
day. Indeed, the day before yesterday we met some Vicksburg officers, who asked
that I should come with a flag of truce to discuss a point as to exchange of
prisoners, and as we parted, one, a Major Watts, asked me not to open our
batteries (the secret) last night, as he was going to have a party and did not
want to be disturbed. . . .

Nothing can prevent the fatal practice, but excluding all
men from our camp but men who must fight. They at least have a personal
interest in what should be revealed and what concealed. . . .

Affectionately,

W. T. SHERMAN.

SOURCE: Rachel Sherman Thorndike, Editor, The
Sherman letters: correspondence between General and Senator Sherman from 1837
to 1891, p. 198-9